Located in the western part of Inner Mongolia autonomous region and adjacent to the Republic of Mongolia to its north and the Yellow River to its south, Baotou is the largest city in the autonomous region and an important transport hub.

Baotou, also goes by the name Lucheng city, which, roughly translated, means "a city with deer". [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Baotou plays a key role in the economic expansion of Inner Mongolia and the implementation of China's Belt and Road Initiative, which involves the revival of the ancient overland and marine Silk Road routes. It serves as a part of Inner Mongolia economic circle together with Hohhot and Ordos. Spanning a total area of 27,768 square kilometers, the city has nine banner counties and one national rare-earth high-tech industrial development zone.The city also goes by the name Lucheng city, which, roughly translated, means "a city with deer".

Baotou reported steady economic growth in 2020, despite the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The regional gross domestic product for the year hit 278.74 billion yuan ($43.15 billion), an increase of 3.0 percent over the previous year at comparable prices.

In terms of industries, the added value of the primary industry was 10.52 billion yuan, an increase of 2.0 percent; the added value of the secondary industry was 115.30 billion yuan, an increase of 9.8 percent; and the added value of the tertiary industry was 152.92 billion yuan, a decrease of 1.8 percent.

The added value of the city's industrial enterprises above a designated size - the statistical term referring to those with annual revenue of 20 million yuan or more - increased by 11.0 percent from the previous year, 2.4 and 0.9 percentage points higher respectively than that of the first half and the first three quarters of 2020.

The city's fixed asset investment increased by 1.6 percent from the previous year. A total of 143 projects with investment exceeding 100 million yuan were completed during the year, an increase of 20.2 percent over 2019.

The per capita disposable income of residents was 45,879 yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.5 percent.

Breaking this figure down, the per capita disposable income of urban residents was 50,981 yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.1 percent, and the per capita disposable income of rural residents in pastoral areas was 20,710 yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.0 percent. 

Baotou, also goes by the name Lucheng city, which, roughly translated, means "a city with deer". [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The city is also home to many large-scale enterprises concerning steel, aluminum, equipment manufacturing and rare-earth processing industries. It contains important bases for energy, raw materials, rare earth, new-type coal chemical and equipment manufacturing industries. More than 20,000 enterprises have been launched in the city, including 619 large-scale companies.Known as the "steel city in the grassland" and the "capital of rare earth," Baotou boasts a variety of high-quality mineral resources. It contains many large storage facilities, making it an ideal place to harvest natural resources. 74 different minerals ranging from metals to rare earth have been found in Baotou, making it a world-level rare earth industrial cluster.

Baotou, also goes by the name Lucheng city, which, roughly translated, means "a city with deer". [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Baotou boasts plenty of attractions. Its historical and cultural scenic spots include the Site of A'shan, Machi Ancient City and the Great Walls constructed during the Warring States period (475-221 BC) and the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). It also features famous cultural scenic spots such as Wudangzhao and Meidaizhao temples, landscapes involving Xilamuren Grassland, Jiufeng Mountain and Saihantala Ecological Park.

Baotou has shown its intention of prioritizing ecological development by building more than 20 parks, 30 plazas and over 120 urban landscapes.

It is also winners of many international and domestic appraisals for its ecology protection, including United Nations Habitat Scroll of Honor Award, National Forest City, National Garden City, National Sanitary City and National Outstanding Tourist City.